❓ Mr L'Estrange questions whether private health insurance patients are receiving surgery in public hospitals at the expense of public patients. The Minister assures that the WA health system operates on clinical need and does not discriminate based on ability to pay.
AnsweredQoN 577Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ELECTIVE SURGERY
WAITLIST — JULY REPORT
577. Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE to the Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question. The
minister mentioned in his answer that private health insurance patients were
taking up the bed space of public patients in public hospitals. Can the
minister clarify that our public hospitals are not allowing surgery for private
health insurance patients at the expense of public patients?
WAITLIST — JULY REPORT
577. Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE to the Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question. The
minister mentioned in his answer that private health insurance patients were
taking up the bed space of public patients in public hospitals. Can the
minister clarify that our public hospitals are not allowing surgery for private
health insurance patients at the expense of public patients?
AnswerView source ↗
That is a good point. I can absolutely
provide the member with that guarantee. I assure everyone that the Western Australian
health system operates on the basis of clinical need and access. At no stage do
we discriminate against people on the basis of their ability to pay. When
people present to a hospital and receive hospital services, we encourage them
to access their private health insurance. That is an emerging aspect of the
public hospital system. I should say that the federal government is none too
pleased with the efforts of public hospital systems across Australia about
that. We are the least of the commonwealth government's problems, of
course, because New South Wales and Victoria have mastered that craft and take
a lot of money out of the private health insurance market. But we never
discriminate on the basis of people's capacity to pay. I thank the
member for clarifying that.
provide the member with that guarantee. I assure everyone that the Western Australian
health system operates on the basis of clinical need and access. At no stage do
we discriminate against people on the basis of their ability to pay. When
people present to a hospital and receive hospital services, we encourage them
to access their private health insurance. That is an emerging aspect of the
public hospital system. I should say that the federal government is none too
pleased with the efforts of public hospital systems across Australia about
that. We are the least of the commonwealth government's problems, of
course, because New South Wales and Victoria have mastered that craft and take
a lot of money out of the private health insurance market. But we never
discriminate on the basis of people's capacity to pay. I thank the
member for clarifying that.
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